Safety gas-cock.



PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

B. F. CLARKE.

a SAFETY GAS GOGK. APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 1904.

UNTTED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OEETCE.

SAFETY GAS-COCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,072, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed March 14, 190A. Serial No. 198,007.

To a, whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Gas-Cocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device which is designed for the prevention of accidents resulting from the escape of unburned gas from fixtures.

It consists of an electrical attachment for each gas-cock and connections therewith by which an alarm is given at the oflice or other station whenever the cock stands in position to allow the gas to escape and means by which the electrical circuit is interrupted when the escaping gas is lighted.

It also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 illustrates my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of a gas-fixture. Fig. 3 is a section on line y y of Fig. 2.

Various arrangements may be employed by which notification can be given when a gascock has been turned sufliciently to allow the gas to escape without being ignited and means whereby the signal will be silenced whenever the gas is ignited. In the present case I have shown an attachment which is effective for this purpose.

As shown in the drawings, A is an ordinary fixture having the burner-tip 2 and the cock 3, which is turnable to allow the gas to flow or to cut it off, and the fixture A is insulated from other metallic connections. In my invention this cock has fitted into its sides at proper points insulating material 4:, and as the cock is turnable in two directions to open it I employ two of these insulating-sections. These sections are sufficiently separated so that when the cock is opened so far as to allow gas to pass to the burner the metallic portion of the cock will be presented to a springpressed rod or point 5, which is slidable in an opening radial to the side of the cook. The tube or passage within which this point is slidable has an insulating-lining, as shown at 6, whereby contact with the sides of the tube is prevented, and 7 represents a spring by the pressure of which the point is normally held in contact with the side of the gas-cock 3. The outer end of this rod is provided with a binding-screw or other suitable attachment,

as at 8, and with this is connected a conducting-wire 9. The opposite end of this wire is connected, through an alarm, to a spring 10, which is contained within a shallow inclosing cup 11, surrounding the burner-tip 2 or in sufiiciently close proximity therewith to be heated whenever the gas is lighted. The connection with the spring is through a pin 12, which is properly insulated from the cup 11, so that the spring being coiled in a circular manner around the interior of the cup 11 and out of contact with the cup or the burnertip will have one end fast to the inside of the cup 11, as shown at 13, while the other end normally rests against the pin 12 when all the parts are cold, and a circuit will thus be completed through the pins 5 and 12, the interposed battery, the spring, and the metal of the gas-burner, so that'an alarm of any character connected therewith will be sounded when the parts are thus electrically connected. This connection is only complete through the key 3 of the burner when the metallic portion of the key is in such position that the point 5 will contact with it, and this occurs only when the gas-cock is sufiiciently open to allow gas to escape. At all other times when the gas-cock is closed an insulatingsurface I is in line with the pin 5 and no electrical current can pass.

The spring 10 is composed of metals of different degrees of expansibility and contractibility, so that when cold, the spring having one end fixed, as at 13, and passing around the gasburner, the other end will contact with the post 12, as previously stated. Whenever the gas-cock is opened, so that gas can escape, and the gas ignited, the parts will soon become heated and the expansion of the spring will move its free end out of contact with the pin 12, and thus the electrical circuit will be interrupted and no signal will be given as long as the gas is burning. Whenever the gas is extinguished and the parts become cool, the contraction of the spring 10 will cause it to again contact with the pin 12, and thus complete thecircuit; but if the key 3 has been turned so as to'shut off the gas no alarm will be given, because the insulation 4 of the key will be in contact with the pin 5 and the electrical circuit will be interrupted. If, however, the gas is accidentally extinguished 'or having once been turned off the key is again turned so as to allow gas to escape, the position of the key under these conditions will be such that an electrical circuit will be established through the pin 5 and the metallic surface of the key and an alarm sounded at a point where it will attract attention, so that an investigation may be made. It will be manifest that it will not be desirable that an alarm should be given at every time when the gas is being lighted, as it takes a short time for the heat to affect the spring. To obviate this, a time circuit-breaker 14 may be placed in the circuit,adapted to complete the circuit at any desired interval of time-say from one to five minutesthus allowing time for the electrical circuit to be interrupted by the expansion of the spring if the gas has been lighted, and if the gas has not been lighted the alarm will then be given. This short time will not be sufiicient to cause any injury to the'occupant of the room by the small quantity of gas which may escape before the alarm is given. Any well-known formof time circuitbreaker may be employed. I have here shown a dial 16 with alternate insulated and metallic surfaces over which a hand or pointer 17 is moved by clock mechanism. This pointer carries a contact making point 18, which alternately makes and breaks the electrical circuit as it passes over the surface of the dial. The circuit, as here shown, may then be from battery 20, through wire 21, to pin 12, thence through spring 10, metallic parts of gas-cock to pin 5, to wire 9, to alarm 23, thence to pointer 17 and metallic parts of dial, thence through wire 22 to the battery.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. lated section of the supply-key whereby the circuit is completed and an alarm is given when the key is opened for the escape of unignited gas.

2. An alarm attachment for gas-burners having in combination a gas-burner and the turning plug thereof said plug having insulating-sections, an electric circuit including said burner, a cup on the burner having a horizontally expansible and contractible spring one end of which is fixed to said cup, a fixed contact with which the free end of the spring normally contacts said spring adapted to break the circuit when heated and said insulated sections interrupting the circuit when the plug is closed, and allowing it to be completed when open, and an alarm located within said circuit.

3. The combination with a gas-burner and the supply-key thereof, of an electric battery and sounder, a spring pressed pin having one end maintained in contact with the side of the key, insulating-sections in the key which register with the pin when the gas is turned off and metallic sections through which an electrical circuit is opened when the key is turned so that gas may escape, a cup surrounding the burner, a spring formed of. two unequally-expansible metals, said spring having one end fixed within the cup and the other end normally contacting with an insulated pin with which a wire of the electrical circuit connects whereby the circuit is completed while the spring is cold, said spring being forced out of contact with the pin by the heat of the burning gas so as to break the electrical circuit.

4. The combination with a gas-burner and the key thereof of asource ofelectrical energy and a sounder actuated thereby, an insulated channel in the body of the gas-fixture, a springpressed pin slidable in said channel and having its inner end maintained in contact with the surface of the key, an expansible spring surrounding the gasjet having one end in metallic contact with the burner, an insulated pin with which the opposite end is normally in contact, wires connecting the said pin with the slidable pin ofthe gas-cock and the source of electrical energy, insulated sections on the gas-key whereby. the electrical circuit is interrupted when the flow of gas is closed and is completed when the key is turned to allow a flow of gas, said circuit being again interrupted by the expansion of the spring when the gas is lighted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

Jos. D. Honeus, R. L. RIGDON. 

